We are following very closely the recommendations and updates given by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention as well as our State Health Department about the H1N1 disease and vaccine. We will continue to keep you informed through this our web site.

As of TODAY – November 4, we are out of both, the seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine.

The Health Department is allowing us to order a limited number of doses of the H1N1 every week, and we are confident we will have a steady supply, though limited, for the next two months. Our advice at this time is to call our office to check on the status of the shipment and make an appointment if available. You can also keep up with the status right here, by checking our web site.

We continue to strongly recommend the H1N1 vaccine for those at higher risk, which includes our pediatric population, since the vaccine is the only available, effective way to prevent the disease. We have learned over the last two months how easy the flu spreads through schools and other institutions. Right after school started is when we saw a rapid increase in cases.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, from the National Institute of Health, recently reiterated that we now have strong data to support the safety of the vaccine. Health authorities admit the process of distribution of the vaccine had many setbacks that are inevitable, when considering the massive size of the effort.

As far as the seasonal flu, we are still awaiting shipment of more vaccine, but the delay is not as troubling since we still have plenty of time until the seasonal flu arrives here in Texas. We do not know what the intensity of the seasonal flu epidemic is going to be this year. Looking at what happened in the Southern hemisphere during their winter months, the incidence of H1N1 was predominant, with fewer cases of other strains.

As I have said before, we are learning as we go. In the mean time, stay healthy, wash you hands and stay home if you feel sick.

Marta Katalenas M.D.

About Dr. Marta Katalenas M.D.

Dr. Marta Katalenas is a Board Certified Pediatrician specializing in childhood obesity and owns the Pediatric Center of Round Rock located in Round Rock, Texas. Dr. Katalenas is a professional speaker and author of the upcoming book "From Scratch", a guide to healthy cooking and eating for busy families.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 2:47 pm and is filed under Health Alerts, Influenza (Flu). You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.